Pennsylvania currently has the fifth highest gasoline tax in the country, but under a transportation bill signed into law by Gov. Tom Corbett, the state will climb to No. 1 by 2017, assuming the other four states don't increase their gas taxes as well.

My site counter has recorded 900,000 Page Views from 478,000 Unique Visitors to Tony Phyrillas on Politics. 1,000,000 is just around the corner. Thanks for checking out the blog ... and come back again.

Will the challenge further weaken Corbett and open the way for a Democratic governor from the current crop of tax-and-spend liberals seeking their party nod?

From Busted's latest column:

If Guzzardi draws a heavy anti-Corbett vote in a primary, he can significantly damage Corbett's re-election prospects. Surely Guzzardi, a very bright guy, knows he would be indirectly helping a Democrat win.

Guzzardi likely doesn't care. He is committed to long-term reform of the Republican Party and he believes a Democrat will win anyway.

A victory for free speech. A victory for religious freedom. A major defeat of the intolerant far left.

In case liberals haven't figured things out, it's all about the Benjamins. The hypocrites who run Hollywood are not about to pass up on hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues from the most popular cable TV show to appease a small group of far-left haters who won't tolerate free speech.

Check out this article by a liberal TV critic who is obviously upset by the "total cave-in" by A&E.

The Robertson Family is standing behind patriarch Phil Robertson in his dispute with A&E network over comments Robertson made about his faith to a magazine. The family has put A&E on notice that it will not continue the show without Phil Robertson. The network stands to lose millions if the family pulls out of the show.

We want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. The family has
spent much time in prayer since learning of A&E's decision. We want
you to know that first and foremost we are a family rooted in our faith
in God and our belief that the Bible is His word. While some of Phil’s
unfiltered comments to the reporter were coarse, his beliefs are
grounded in the teachings of the Bible. Phil is a Godly man who follows
what the Bible says are the greatest commandments: "Love the Lord your
God with all your heart" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." Phil
would never incite or encourage hate. We are disappointed that Phil has
been placed on hiatus for expressing his faith, which is his
constitutionally protected right. We have had a successful working
relationship with A&E but, as a family, we cannot imagine the show
going forward without our patriarch at the helm. We are in discussions
with A&E to see what that means for the future of Duck Dynasty.
Again, thank you for your continued support of our family."

In the first major Republican endorsement for the 2014 race for Pennsylvania governor, U.S.
Senator Pat Toomey on Friday threw his support behind the incumbent GOP ticket for Pennsylvania governor and lt. governor, citing Gov. Tom Corbett's fiscal leadership over the past three years:

“I
am proud to endorse Tom Corbett and Jim Cawley for another term as
Governor and Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, because
they recognize the importance of preserving the fiscal health of our
Commonwealth for future generations,” Toomey said in a press release.

“Under
the leadership of the Corbett-Cawley team, fiscal discipline has
returned to Harrisburg. Whether it was eliminating a $4.2 billion
deficit without raising taxes, or enabling the private sector to create
141,000 jobs, Governor Corbett has consistently championed policies to
protect the tax dollars of hard-working Pennsylvanians. That is an
impressive achievement few governors can claim.”

Upon
receiving the endorsement of Senator Toomey, Gov. issued the following statement:

"I am honored to receive the endorsement of Pat Toomey, a leading
advocate of smaller government and fiscal responsibility. The
relationship Senator Toomey and I have developed has been critical in
preventing the one-size-fits-all mandates of Washington, D.C., from
threatening Pennsylvania’s economic recovery,” Corbett added. “I look
forward to a continued partnership with Senator Toomey as we strive to
bring more jobs and less taxes to Pennsylvania.”

Once again, liberals show they have no tolerance for freedom of speech or freedom of religion. Phil Robertson will not compromise his beliefs for money, so the liberal cabal that controls Hollywood punishes him.

Not sure who the biggest putz is here: the Pa. Legislature for not making sure the laws it passes are written correctly or the activist Pa. Supreme Court, which nullifies laws to protect children on a technicality.

U.S. Senator Pat Toomey, R-Pa., issued the following statement Friday about the budget agreement passed by the house on Thursday:

"The budget deal must be considered in comparison to existing law which was signed by President Obama in 2011 and established specific spending limits. These bipartisan spending caps are working. In 2012 and 2013, we reduced government spending two years in a row — for the first time since just after the Korean War – and lowered our deficits substantially.

"I have maintained that any budget deal alternative to current law must preserve the taxpayer savings of existing law. The budget agreement does not accomplish this basic goal.

"Instead, this deal establishes new, higher budget caps to increase spending. The deal purports to offset those increases. But it does so, in some cases, with gimmicks and to a large degree with higher revenues.

"It is also unfortunate that this deal does not contain a provision that I have been calling for which would permanently end shutdowns and government by manufactured crisis.

"Regardless of one's position on this budget agreement, it is clear that Washington is still ignoring the unsustainable spending trajectory that remains a drag on our economy and future generations. I hope that Congress will get to work to put our fiscal house in order."

PolitiFact has named "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it," the Lie of the Year for 2013. Finally, an award Obama actually earned. He is now officially, the "Liar-In-Chief" - Democrats must be so proud they elected a habitual liar as president - twice!

"A rousing chorus of Bah! Humbug! for President Barack Obama as American voters head into the holidays with little charitable to say about the president," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"President Obama could be pretty lonely during his last two years in office if voters decide they want Republican majorities in the House and Senate."

In politics, as with many aspects of life, timing is everything. The timing of the awarding of this year's annual cost-of-living pay increase for state officials could not have been worse. Announcement of the COLA followed by days of the enactment into law of what will in effect be one of the biggest gas tax hikes in state history.

Taking more from the taxpayers’ pockets and then pocketing more money for yourself is not a prescription for political success. Few involved in state government today are responsible for the annual raises. They were instituted back in the mid-1990s as a way for legislators to avoid periodic tough votes over pay hikes. Ten years later lawmakers got greedy and voted themselves a raise over and above the COLA. That now infamous middle-of-the-night vote led to a voter backlash that ended the career of numerous legislators and even a couple of state Supreme Court justices.

This year's COLA is really nothing to write home about: just one quarter of one percent. That translates to $210 per year for your average legislator. Many members, as well as Gov. Tom Corbett, Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, cabinet members and the statewide constitutional officers reject the COLAs either turning them back into the state treasury or giving the money to charity.

Even those rejecting the cost-of-living raises benefit to some degree as their pensions are calculated off the higher pay number. Very few lawmakers have declined to participate in the state pension system, so most benefit. Many reformers argue both the COLA and pensions for lawmakers are unconstitutional. The state constitution very clearly authorizes regular pay and travel costs for legislators. It also prohibits elected officials from getting pay raises during their terms of office ­— which is exactly what COLAs accomplish.

So why do elected officials put up with the political damage COLAs cause when there is so little benefit? Likely because repealing the COLA would open the gates to other reforms. A growing number of lawmakers are pushing for a wider variety of reforms that would make state government more open and accountable. Those trying to preserve the status quo fear that once the reform ball starts rolling, other perks may bite the dust as well.

And that is as it should be. First, the law enabling COLAs should be repealed. State Sen. Rob Teplitz, D-Dauphin, and State Rep. Eli Evankovich, R-Westmoreland, have each introduced legislation in their respective chambers to end COLAs. This is not to say that lawmakers never deserve a raise. But if raises are to be given they should be awarded in a constitutional manner with a roll call vote in the full light of day.

Giving credence to the status quo crowd’s concern, the legislature should not stop there. With numerous former legislative leaders of both parties sitting in jailhouses around the state, the General Assembly's job approval rating is in the tank. The time has come to reform the institution in a manner that will restore the public trust and confidence.

An easy, but significant, step to take would be enactment of a law proposed last week by state Rep. Fred Keller, R-Union, that would require the phrase "prepared or compiled using taxpayer resources" on any piece of literature, web site or electronic communication paid for by taxpayer dollars. This would include constituent newsletters which provide a political benefit to legislators as well as an informational benefit to constituents. It is important for voters to know if they are paying for such publications.

Voters also need to be wary of reform proposals that sound good, but would actually concentrate more power in fewer hands. An example of this is a bill that would reduce the size of the state legislature. Fewer lawmakers to support sounds like a good idea, but bigger districts would take power from the hands of grassroots voters and vest it in the special interests that would fund more expensive campaigns in bigger districts. The problem isn't the size of the General Assembly, it is the cost.

Another major step toward restoring public confidence in state government would be expansion and toughening of the state’s Open Records law. Pennsylvania has come a long way in this regard, but implementation of the current law has revealed several significant shortcomings that must be fixed to make it more effective. State Sen. Dominic Pileggi, R-Delaware, has proposed such legislation which would give residents of Penn's Woods greater access to their commonwealth's government.

Unfortunately, these reform proposals — both the modest and the ambitious — remain bogged down in the legislative process. The time has come for the logjam to be broken.

Lowman S. Henry is Chairman & CEO of the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research in Harrisburg and host of the weekly Lincoln Radio Journal. His e-mail address is lhenry@lincolninstitute.org

James Pethokoukis of the American Enterprise Institute on what the Obama Administration and its media allies are NOT telling you about the November jobs report:

1. There are still 1.1 million fewer employed Americans today than
right before the recession started, despite a potential labor force
that’s 14 million larger. And there are 3.6 million fewer full-time
workers than back in 2007.

2. The employment rate, the share of Americans with a job, is 58.6% — exactly where it was in November 2009.

3. If the labor force participation rate were where it was a year
ago, the jobless rate would be 7.9%, not 7% (and 11.3% if the LFPR were
at prerecession levels, though closer to 9% if demographics-adjusted).

4. More than 4 million Americans remain out of work for 27 weeks or longer.

5. Overall, according to the Hamilton Project Jobs Gap calculator,
it will take another five years to return to 2007 employment levels
even at the improved job creation pace of the past four months.

Investor's Business Daily: Politics: We keep hearing about how the Republican Party is full of radical Tea Party crazies. But our latest IBD/TIPP Poll shows that it's Democrats who are out of touch with reality and well outside the mainstream.

The public overwhelmingly believes the country is headed in the wrong direction, that current economic policies aren't working, that President Obama is doing a bad job, that government should be smaller and that ObamaCare should be repealed. But not Democrats.

It took a three-week campaign by conservatives on Twitter and Facebook, but justice has finally been served. MSNBC miscreant Martin Bashir has resigned over the disgusting remarks he made on the air about former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. This is the power of social media because the MSM ignored the story.